Lynnie's Favorite Books of 2019

I can't believe this is my fifth Favorites list for this blog!

In 2019 I read more books than any year since I started to keep track- 61! I rated 80% of the books I read 3 stars or higher on Goodreads, which makes me happy to see; I love a good book!  I had a particularly great end of the year as 4 of my favorites were read in the last 3 months of 2019.  I gave 5 stars to 7 books this year, 2 of them cookbooks and 2 of them comics, and one of them was a single story in a collection.  Interestingly (at least to me) I barely read any young adult fiction during the year and none of those that I did read made my favorites list- a first for me.  

So, listed below are my favorite books of 2019 (organized, but in no order)- the ones I've been recommending to friends when they're looking for a great book. Click on the title for the full blog review of each book.  

Best Fiction: 

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Told from the perspectives of all the members of the fictional band Daisy Jones and the Six, the characters stole my heart from the very beginning.  I loved how the stories wove together to create the narrative and that, as a reader, we got to see the story unfold from so many perspectives.  

 
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

A sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, this was not a book that needed to be written and yet I enjoyed it immensely!  Told through the alternating viewpoints of Aunt Lydia and Offred's two daughters we learn the history and the future of Gilead.  Aunt Lydia's story particularly stands out as a reminder that sometimes the only way out is through.  



 
The Institute by Stephen King

I could not put this book down! Trust me that if you are a fan of Stephen King's you need to read this book. A young boy is kidnapped and taken to "The Institute" where they will try to harness his natural abilities of telekinesis for the better of society- or so they say. In King's world, bad guys are as bad as they can be but good guys are always there offering hope and redemption.

Best Nonfiction: 

Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan

Like reading the wise words of an old friend, this book is warm, funny, and full of common-sense-you-need-to-read-this advice.  Corrigan's stories are completely relatable and offer something for all of us to learn from.







Best Comic:

Invincible, Vol. 25: The End of All Things by Robert Kirman (writer), Ryan Ottley (illustrator), Cory Walker (illustrator), Nathan Fairbairn (colorist), Rus Wooten (letterer) 

This is the final volume of the Invincible series and my rating is for not only this book, but the series as a whole.  Invincible is the story of Mark Grayson, an average teenage boy who just happens to be half extraterrestrial superhero.  It's a series about family, acceptance, and yes, a lot of superhero space fights.  It's also one of my favorite comic series of all time.      


Best Cookbook:
 
Vegetables Illustrated by America's Test Kitchen

Some of you might know that I have not purchased a cookbook in about a decade... until this one.  It's such a great collection of how to work with any vegetable you can imagine (or at least, any vegetable I can imagine) and as someone who belongs to a farm share, this is a great way to figure out what to do with all those fresh, seasonal veggies each year.  Buy this book and eat more veggies!



Here's to another great year of reading ahead in 2020.  In case you're curious and looking for more reading ideas, here's a link to my favorites lists from 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Also don't forget to check out Amy's Favorite Books of 2019 too.